Attorney Glen Hanoman said yesterday that his clients, Barry Dataram and three others who were present in a house during a multi-million-dollar cocaine raid, were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He said it was indicated to him that the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) was still conducting investigations and that the four persons are likely to make their first court appearance on Monday.
Local drug enforcement officials with assistance from foreign law enforcement officials swooped down on a house at Fourth Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara and after a thorough search found over 100 kilogrammes of cocaine along with an undisclosed sum of cash and ammunition.
The drug was found packaged in a room of the property.
CANU head James Singh disclosed to Stabroek News when contacted for an update yesterday that the cocaine was found concealed in shrimp.
According to information provided to this newspaper by a source, the seafood was being prepped for shipment but it is unclear at this point which country it was to be shipped to.
Singh declined to divulge information pertaining to the case as the matter is still under investigation but he said that the four persons arrested are still in custody and that charges are likely to be laid early next week.
Meanwhile, Hanoman, in an invited comment, informed this newspaper that couples would usually occupy the house.
He said Dataram had gone to the location to meet his girlfriend who has also been arrested. He explained that the five-bedroom property is furnished and would be used by “various friends and people to take their girlfriends.”
He stated too that in addition to the drugs that were reportedly found inside and outside of the house, other items were found including identification cards.
